Tracktion 2 - Following the Traction 1 software, dubbed T2, is a major step forward, adding more than 100 new features and updates, while still maintaining the core feature set that has made the original Tracktion a runaway success.
Tracktion is easy-to-use Mac- and PC-compatible music production software that contains everything most people will ever need for creating and mixing music. Its hallmark is a clean, single-screen interface and very simple operation – whether you're recording tracks, MIDI programming, or mixing down. It offers rock-solid operation and very low CPU usage with operating systems ranging from Mac OSX to Windows 2000 and XP. And it contains a whole host of professional features you can actually use.

Extended information

A CLEAN SINGLE-SCREEN INTERFACE - Tracktion's single-screen interface is clean and clutter-free. It's all about letting you focus on being productive, so we've gone to great measures to keep the technical stuff out of the way of your creative process. Mind you, technical and setup functions are always within one click of your mouse, but never obstructing the view of your arrangement.

ENHANCED MIDI EDITOR - Tracktion 2 features a fully revamped MIDI editor with faster note entry, quicker controller and velocity editing, more intuitive keyboard control, and improved viewing of notes and controllers simultaneously. You can color code individual notes and even draw MIDI controller parameters with the new line tool. These enhancements (along with others too numerous to mention here) add up to much more powerful MIDI functionality.

EXTERNAL SYNC - In addition to Tracktion's ReWire host functionality for hooking to things like Reason, T2 now offers more synchronization support, including MIDI Time Code (MTC) input/output and MIDI Clock output for working with hard disk recorders, keyboard workstations, groove boxes, etc. Tracktion 2 can also send and receive MIDI Machine Control (MMC) commands, opening the door to external transport control and integration with modular digital multi-track and hard disk recorders.

AUXILIARY SEND AND RETURN FUNCTIONALITY - Tracktion 2 provides eight Auxiliary sends and returns for tasks like sharing a reverb on the different instrument tracks in a drum kit. Like all things Tracktion, these Aux sends and returns are simple for new and existing users alike.

QUICKTIME SUPPORT - Tracktion 2 supports Quicktime™ video playback. Select a movie and start tracking – compose music, add effects, replace your dialog, and win your Oscar®. This opens a world of project studio post-production to Tracktion users. And since both Tracktion and Quicktime are cross-platform compatible, it's as easy to share video projects as it is audio.
64-BIT, 192KHZ-CAPABLE MIX ENGINE

Much has been made about the "summing bus" in DAW software. This is the place where audio streams are combined – and a place where software can potentially suffer versus a traditional hardware mixer. Tracktion 2 has a new high-definition 64-bit mixing option to alleviate this concern. Plus Tracktion 2 comes ready for 192kHz audio interfaces for the ultimate in bleeding-edge digital.

MIDI CONTROLLER MAPPING - T2 makes integrating any MIDI controller a breeze. Just enter the MIDI Mapper, pick a filter parameter, and move the controller... done. The controller and parameter are now linked, and this pairing is stored in the session file for next time.

MIDI STEP RECORDING - Piano playing skills not quite up to Carnegie Hall standards? Tracktion 2 offers a step recording mode, allowing you to enter MIDI notes correctly and at your own pace. This powerful new feature lets you sequence even the most complicated passages with confidence and ease.

INTEGRATED MACKIE CONTROL UNIVERSAL AND C4 SUPPORT - Tracktion 2 offers full support for the Mackie Control Universal and the Mackie Control C4 rotary controller, providing complete hands-on control of a wide range of recording and mixing parameters, including plug-ins and virtual instruments. In true Tracktion fashion, it's so intuitive that in no time you'll be enjoying the productivity boost only real knobs and faders can provide.

LOOP RECORDING - Got a client who can't sing their way out of a paper bag? Or perhaps an overzealous lead guitar player? No problem. Tracktion 2 includes "loop record mode" which makes it easy to record multiple passes and compile the best of each into the perfect take.

BROADCAST .WAV FILES IMPORT - Tracktion 2 offers industry-standard broadcast .wav file import support. Support of .bwav audio files means even greater ease and flexibility for users importing audio from otherwise incompatible applications and hardware. And because these files are time-stamped, restoring them to their original position relative to other audio clips is a snap.

IMPORT MACKIE HDR FILES - Users of the Mackie HDR, MDR and SDR hard disk recorders can now import their project files directly into Tracktion 2, complete with all audio and edits intact. Track those rowdy musicians at the club to your hard disk recorder, then quickly transfer to your laptop and toss it in the van. When the bass player finally passes out, set your laptop on his head and mix on the way to the next gig.

NEW COLOR SCHEMES - Who are we to tell you what color your T2 interface should be? With the color editor, you can customize the look of tons of Tracktion screen objects.

IMPROVED METERING - Tracktion 2 now offers more ways to visualize your audio intensity. Enhanced Input meters on every channel provide more accurate at-a-glance viewing of your input levels. The new "Large Meters Mode" transforms the horizontal tracks into a gigantic input meter bridge for super-accurate level setting.

SCALABLE INTERFACE - Tracktion 2's single-screen interface can be scaled to virtually any size, permitting users of large monitors to devote some of those pixels to other applications, while still keeping an eye on Tracktion.

SHOW AND HIDE INPUTS AND FILTERS - With T2, you can quickly and independently select to show or hide the input and filter sections of the interface, freeing up valuable on-screen real estate when you're focused on perfecting that complex musical arrangement.

'PER TRACK' INPUT - Tracktion 2 adds a "per track input mode", offering an alternative to the standard "drag the input to the track" assignment method. If you have more than just a few inputs, you'll appreciate not having to sort through all of those input icons to find the one you need. Instead, simply select an audio or MIDI input from the new drop-down menu available on every track.

A FULL SUITE OF "NAME-BRAND" PLUG-INS, INSTRUMENTS AND LOOPS - The goal was to give T2 users all the basic music-making and mixing tools, right out of the box. So we partnered with every developer who would return our calls to bring you a full suite of high-quality "name-brand" effects plug-ins, virtual instruments, and loops. Here's just a partial list of all the goodies that come bundled with T2.

Technical specifications

• Unlimited track count (Depending on your computer's CPU)
• Support for sample rates up to 192kHz
• Importing and exporting of all major file types
• Simple drag-and-drop audio editing
• Track freezing for conserving CPU power
• VST instrument and plug-in support
• ReWire™ support for use with Reason™ software
• Powerful MIDI programming and editing with step recording
• Built-in Quicktime™ support
• 64-bit mix engine for superb sound quality
• Built-in sampler
• MIDI mapping for external controllers
• MTC input/output, MIDI Clock output, and MMC send/receive
• Powerful project management features
• Full suite of "name-brand" plug-ins from IK Multimedia, Lin Plug, reFX, Bismark, Acuma Labs, Raw Materials and more

Traktion V2 comes bundled with a whole bunch of plugs:
# Ik Multimedia - Sample Tank SE
# Ik Multimedia - Amplitube LE
# Lin Plug - RMIV Intuitive analog drum machine and drum sampler
# reFX - Slayer2 Electric guitar bass plug-in
# Bismark - bs-1 Soundfont player
# Acuma Labs - Final Mix Mastering Software
# Mackie - Dynamics Suite Mono, Stereo, Side Chain and De-Esser plugins
# Mackie - ZR-3 B3 Organ simulator
# BigTick - Ticky Clav Clavinet simulator
# BigTick - Cheese Machine String machine
# Lin Plug - Freealpha Analog synthesizer
# reFX - Claw Bass plug-in
# BigTick - Hexaline Delay/Modulation effects